Broken Worlds 7

Leaving Home

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon Tamers

Alice explained a little more of what the demon seekers should to and be wary about.  She gave Shuichon, Ryo, Hirokazu and Kenta their own amulets. 

"You'll need to leave here shortly," Alice suggested.  "Time is running out.  Shibumi can help you."

"Is there anything you can tell us?" Jenrya question.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, "but there are some things that you must learn on your own.  I've told you enough already."

"What do you mean?" Juri questioned. "Are you taking a big risk coming to us?  Do the demons know who we are?"

Alice sighed, "they are everywhere, even in the day.  They're watching us."

"Maybe you should come with us," Takato said.

"Thank you, but I am not completely harmless.  I can take care of myself."  She nodded to her giant dog.  "Let's go…"

She stood up and walked out of the tavern with her companion.  The demon seekers stepped out to watch her leave, wondering all the same questions.  The clouds began circling in the sky above Alice as she started walking away.  Juri gasped.

"Watch out!"

Something emerged from the clouds but Alice stood ready. She was right about being able to take herself.  Her giant dog started snarling at the monster and attacked.

"Is it one of those Devas?" Kenta questioned.

"No," Juri said, "The remaining Devas are the rooster, boar and dragon.  I don't know what that thing is.  It's not an animal form like the others."

"It has no shape," Jenrya said.

"We've got to help her!" Ryo shouted, breaking in a run.  "Don't worry, Alice!"

Alice held up her hand and began glowing.  Ryo stopped short. 

"She's a sorceress," Juri whispered.

"Like you," Takato said.

"No…her powers are natural," Juri said with closed eyes.  "She's more powerful than me.  I can't cast spells without any cards."

Alice chanted something over and over again while her dog battled with the monster.  It was like a dark fog with red eyes, flying around the dog and spraying a mist in its face.  Before the monster attacked again, Alice destroyed the monster with one powerful blast.  She went to check on her companion and all he got from the fight was a scratch. She mounted him and looked at the others.

"You had better hurry," she said.  "They already know."

Before anyone them could ask a question, Alice and her dog vanished. Hirokazu shivered.  "That is just… creepy."

"You heard her," Juri told them, "let's move out."

"What about your home?" Takato asked.

"It'll be all right.  I can put a shield around it before I leave and Masahiko and the others can take care of it.  Let's get some supplies and go."  Juri said.  "We can't waste any time."

Takato nodded and he asked Jenrya to help him with the supplies.  Juri set the shield up around the tavern and they set off to travel on foot.  Ryo kept an eye on Jenrya.   He knew that he was hiding something.   After a few miles and they agreed to stop for a rest, Jenrya pulled Jenrya aside.

"I know you're lying," Ryo muttered.

"Lying?"

"You said that Rika was gone when you went to get her."

"She was."

"Then how come you were up there so long?"  He demanded.  "She was there when you went up there, wasn't she?  You talked to her and let her go."

"Yes," Jenrya sighed. "She couldn't come with us just yet."

"Why?"

"I suppose she couldn't trust herself with us," Jenrya said.  "I understood and decided to let her leave."

"It's dangerous out here alone."

Jenrya chuckled, "dangerous, for Ruki? She survived on her own without sleeping for the last few weeks and she was a gladiator in an arena for most of her life.  You of all people should know that Ruki should handle herself."

"It's different this time."

"How so?"

"She had a demon spirit in her.  That was how she was able to go so long without any sleep. Ruki is still strong but I think she shows more strength than she really has.  Deep in side she's hurting, but I don't know what it is.  She's also been unarmed. How is she supposed to fend for herself without any weapons?"

"Ruki said she'd probably join us later," Jenrya said.  "Trust me. She's all right.  I could tell."

"If something happens to her…."

"Oh you have nothing to worry about, Ryo," Jenrya insisted.  "Nothing will happen to Ruki, you should know that.  She'll make her own weapons and she'll come to us when she's ready.  She just has a lot to sort through."

They started moving again and Ryo just hoped Jenrya was right. 

****

 When Ruki had been walking for some time, she stopped to think and change her clothes. She hated being in a dress so she ripped it and made pants out of the material.  As she mended the clothes, she wondered why Jenrya let her leave.  Why was he being so nice to her, as if they were friends?  Ruki had no friends.  She never needed them.  All she had to trust in was she, but what if Jenrya said was true? What if she was part of their group?  What if they needed her, this very moment? They could be in trouble.  Ruki shook her head.

"They don't want me around," she mumbled.  "Not after what I did.   Two bounty hunters, two martial artists, a card mage, a gladiator and an illusionist.  They should be fine by themselves and if not, they are weak.  I'll just fight the demons on my own. They're the ones that started this anyway."  She finished ripping the dress and made a pair of new garments.  She made herself a bow and some arrows with diamond arrowheads. Again, she was in luck and found a place that had diamonds.  Though her claw was dangerous and she used it often, she found the diamond arrows the weapons she favored the most. But this time, she'll use her arrows for different purposes.  Not to kill humans or men or even animals, but the demons.  The demons that raised hell.  Out of the corner of her eye, Ruki saw something glimmering.

"Hmm? What's this?" she picked up the item and looked at it carefully.  "Why…"

It was a sapphire amulet, much like the ones the other demon seekers have.  Ruki grinned. She was one of them and the more she thought of it, perhaps fighting in a group would be good for a change. Then she could show off all her skills.

"I am no longer Ruki the Gladiator Queen, or Midnight Fox the fearsome assassin," Ruki said, "but now, I am Ruki, the Demon Seeker."

****

"Has anyone heard about this Shibumi?" Shuichon questioned.

"No," Takato replied.  "Sounds like a mysterious individual.  But I'm excited to meet him.  I want to know how he made these things."

There was a rustle in the bushes and everyone stood ready.  "What's that?" Jenrya said.

The earth shook beneath them.  Shuichon screamed.  Something was coming toward them, something big.

"It's got to be one of the Devas," Juri said. 

She was right. It was the boar.  It was walking through the forest, trampling over everything.

"We've got to destroy that thing!" Takato exclaimed.

"My pleasure," Hirokazu held up his crossbow. "I was getting hungry.  How about some bacon and eggs, everyone?"  He aimed his crossbow between the boar's eyes.  He fired but the bolt bounced off its tough skin. "What?"

"Juri, what element is it?" Shuichon questioned.  "Maybe you can find it's weak point."

"I'll try," she held out a cold card and attacked it with a blast of water.  Though the pig was soaked, it was still moving, slowly, but it wasn't stopping.  "It's water resistant.  I don't think its element is fire."

Shuichon breathed in a sigh of relief, "oh, good.  I'll try now."  The young, quick girl jumped high and kicked the pig in the snout.  But it was incredibly strong and she broke her foot kicking it. Shuichon let out a cry and fell down.

"My…leg…my foot!" she gasped.  "I think it's broken."

Jenrya hurried over to her.  "Impossible.  How can it be so strong? It's a giant pig!"

"I'll try a hot spell now," Juri stated, taking out a card.

"Hot spell?" Shuichon gasped.  "No, wait!"

She sent a blast of fire toward the pig.  It stunned it long enough to buy some time.  Its ears started melting.

"It is vulnerable to fire," Jenrya said, picking his sister up in his arms.  "It must be water or wood elemental."

"Or metal," Takato finished.  He groaned.  "If only I can make my powers work…but I can't think of anything!"

"We can't attack it with any of our techniques, Jenrya," Shuichon said. "It's so hard…like rock almost!"

"Then it must be metal," Hirokazu said.  "Juri, melt that pig!"

"No, don't!" Shuichon cried.  "Don't use fire! Maybe…maybe you can freeze it instead!"

"It should've became rusty after my water card," Juri said.  "Maybe if I heat it enough it will melt into a pile of liquid metal and we can use it for new weapons."

"Sounds like a plan!" Kenta exclaimed.

Juri raised a card, "you might want to get out of the way.  It's going to get very hot!"

But before Juri used the card, something whizzed by her hand and got lodged in the pig's eye. It squealed in pain and shook its head.

"What was that?" Kenta questioned.

"It looked like an arrow," Ryo said.

Another arrow flew out of nowhere and into the other boar's eye.  Then a flurry of hours started piercing its skin. 

"Wait…" Jenrya whispered, "I recognized those arrows. The arrowheads were diamonds!" He looked in the direction the arrows were coming from and he saw Ruki knelt on a tree branch firing arrows at the pig.  "It's Ruki!"

"The arrows are working," Ryo said amazed. "Of course! Diamonds are stronger than metal!"

Ruki jumped from the tree branch and walked forward. "I've wounded it," she said. "Now one of you needs to finish it."

"I will," Ryo said, unsheathing his sword. 

"Is the blade sharp enough?

"It's good steel," he insisted.

"Ryo, I have an idea."  Juri said, "I will heat the sword with a minor spell card. It should make your sword hot enough to destroy the boar, but don't worry, it won't harm yours.  After the boar is gone, you can use it's metal on your sword."

"Excellent." 

Juri took out her card and touched the tip of Ryo's sword with it.  It glowed red for a short moment.  "Now!"

Ryo charged the boar with his heated sword.  "Eat this you pig of destruction!" He jumped onto the pig's back and pushed his sword though the pigs skin and into it's meat. 

"You cannot defeat me!" the pig screamed, trying to shake Ryo off.  He pushed his sword father, as far as it could go until the pig began to melt away.  All that was left of the pig was softened metal. Ryo added it to his sword, making it sharper and stronger.  Juri took out a blank card and dipped it in the metal.

"You have blank cards too?" Takato asked, surprised.

"Yes," Juri replied. "I can create some.  Now I have a card with a metal element.  I can create anything out of metal to appear, a sword, a dagger, an axe…it doesn't matter.  Gentlemen," she turned to Hirokazu and Kenta. "You may use the rest."

"Thank you, Juri," Hirokazu said.

They resumed moving again and Hirokazu grinned as he whispered to Kenta, holding his hand by his mouth.

"Juri likes me," he bragged.  Kenta groaned. Juri went to Shuichon and bent down.

"How's your leg?" she asked.

"It hurts badly," Shuichon replied.  "I think I need a doctor."

"She can fix it," Jenrya insisted.

"You can?"

Juri took out the healing card and healed Shuichon's leg.  Shuichon gasped.  "How did you do that?"

"That was how she healed me," Jenrya said, "and Ryo."

Shuichon smiled, "I'm so glad you came with us, Juri!"

"Thank you," Juri said.

Shuichon looked in Ruki's direction and sneered, "I wish she didn't come…"

"I think she's safe now," Jenrya said.

"Still, I don't trust her," Shuichon said.  "We don't really need her.  Juri's the only other girl we need here."

***

It became dark and the demon seekers set up camp.  "Why don't we keep going?" Ruki demanded. 

"Most of the demons are out at this time," Juri replied.  "Alice warned us to keep off foot at dark.  We'll be safe by the fire."

"I think I'll sit out and watch," she suggested and stepped into the darkness of the woods. 

"I don't think she's warmed up to us yet," Takato said.

"At least she hasn't killed all us," Hirokazu muttered.

"She saved our lives," Ryo reminded hotly.  "Show some gratitude."

Hirokazu bit his lip.  He ate his own words right there.  "Sorry.  I--I just--"

Ryo groaned and walked away.  He sat down under a tree.  Hirokazu and Kenta exchanged glances.  Also away from the group sat Shuichon behind a rock.  Not knowing of her fear of fire, Hirokazu walked to her.

"Shuichon, what are you doing away from the fire?" he asked.  "Aren't you cold?"

"No thank you," she whispered shivering.  "I'm all right."

"Don't be silly," he said. "Come join us by the fire. You must be starving." He took her hand.

"I'd rather not."

"It's safer next to us," Hirokazu insisted, pulling on her hand.

"No…please," she saw the flames of the fire and gasped.  "I'll be all right.  Just give me a blanket."

"Shuichon, what's the matter?" Hirokazu asked.

Shuichon tried to wriggle her hand free.  "I don't want to."

"You're freezing," he said.  "The fire should warm you up."

"That's enough!" Jenrya shouted, pulling Shuichon away from Hirokazu.  "What do you think you're doing?"

"I just thought she'd be warmer by the fire," Hirokazu said, confused.

"You fool," Jenrya muttered, "Shuichon is afraid of fire!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Well now you know."  Jenrya snarled.

"Why is she afraid?" Kenta asked.

"Seven years ago our village was attacked," Jenrya retorted, "rode in with torches.  Our home caught on fire and one of the torches landed right on top of Shuichon.  She was just a little girl and she's been afraid of fire ever since. She can hardly stand candles. Didn't you notice her burns?"

Hirokazu frowned, "I see.  I'm sorry, Shuichon."

"You should be," Jenrya muttered.

"Don't be so mad at him, Jenrya," Shuichon whispered.  "He didn't' know.  He was just trying to be nice.  It's not his fault I'm such a coward…"

"We've all got fears, Shuichon," Hirokazu said. 

"You go on and sit down," Jenrya told his sister.  "I'll have Juri bring you a blanket with some soup."

Shuichon nodded and went back to her spot.  Jenrya walked away, but not without giving Hirokazu a glare.  Hirokazu folded his arms.

"How rude," he mumbled to Kenta. 

"I get the feeling they don't want us," Kenta said. "After all…we're just bounty hunters."

Hirokazu gasped.  "Kenta!  We're more than just bounty hunters!"

"But we didn't do anything to stop that boar," Kenta said.  "Maybe we should go back to Raiden.  I'm sure there's a new outlaw they want us to capture."

"We'll do that after we catch the real outlaws! The demons!"

Kenta sighed.  "I'm going to bed."
*****

Ruki was standing about a half a mile away from camp looking out to the wilderness.  She heard someone come up behind her and she turned around. Seeing it was only Jenrya, she looked ahead again and groaned.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I wanted to thank you for coming back," Jenrya told Ruki.

Ruki moaned, as a sign that she heard him. 

"I knew you would."

She moaned again.

"Why did you come back?"

"I don't know," she retorted. "Just felt like it."

Jenrya wasn't surprised by her reply.  She had been alone most of her life. Being in a group had to be difficult for her. She might have come back, but she still had a cold exterior.  That was expected. They needed someone cold. Rather she just felt like coming back or there was a real reason behind it, he was glad she came back. 

"I talked to Ryo," he said.  "He knew I just let you go.  He was angry but I think he's not angry anymore knowing you're back in one piece.  Neither of us knew why you hate men so much.  He asked you that many times but you never answered him."

"So you think you'll get me to answer you instead?" she demanded.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Jenrya said, coming to her side.  "It's not that important.  I can try and guess and you can just give me a yes or no. Did you have a lover that left you?"

"No," she replied.  She looked down. 'No one wanted to be my lover.'

"Then…it had to have been your father," he guessed, "am I right?"

Ruki felt her heart sting and a gasp escaped her mouth.  "What?"

"I am right," Jenrya said.  "You hate men because of your father." 

"You don't know what you're' talking about," she muttered.

"If it wasn't a lover or your father, maybe a brother?"

"I had no brother.  No sister."

"I see. You hate men for no reason.  You hate everyone, including yourself."
She flinched as if he had stabbed her.  She turned to him. "You're wrong!"

"Oh?  You didn't give me a reason."

Ruki hung her head and looked away.  "You're right…I lied.  It was my father."

"What did he do?" he questioned.  "Did he hurt you?"

"No," she said.  "I don't remember much about him.  My father just left one day, without a word of where he went or when he'd be back.  My mother didn't tell me why either.  So I ran away.  My father didn't want me and I suppose my mother didn't either."

"I'm sorry, Ruki."

"I don't want your pity," she hissed.

"But it's the truth." He reached for her and she slapped his hand.

"You have your answer," she told him, turning back around.  "You know why I hate men.  Now go."
"But I'm nothing like your father," Jenrya said.  "I'm not.  There are good men left in the world, Ruki.  Some of them are right at camp."

"That is not why I came back."

"Then why?"

"I wanted to see if you'll accept me," she said, "and forgive me but I don't fell accepted yet."

"I've accept you and I've forgiven you."

"Not your sister. I know she hates me."
"But Shuichon is just upset," Jenrya said. "She really doesn't hate you.  What she hates is what you did and it wasn't really you, but that demon inside of you.  I believe that you have a good heart, Ruki.  Shuichon still is plagued by the memory of what happened. She has nightmares of those dark riders coming into our village, setting everything on fire.  My older brother Rinchei was killed and my sister Jaarin was--"

"That name…" Ruki whispered. "Jaarin…"

"You knew Jaarin?" Jenrya asked.  "You knew my sister? Is she still alive?"

Ruki nodded and turned around. "I met her while I was a gladiator. I wasn't there for long; perhaps just a few months and I left the arena for a while to train.  I liked it better outside the arena in the wilderness.  Yamaki gave me permission to roam free so I wouldn't have to train with the others. The man was like a father to me."

"A father?"

She shrugged, "yes, but I still didn't like men.  It didn't matter.  I wasn't too far from the arena when I heard a woman screaming for help.  It was your sister Jaarin.  She fled from her kidnappers and they were after her…" she closed her eyes and remembered that day.

****

"Someone help!" Jaarin shouted. She had already killed a man and injured another but she herself was injured and tired.  "Anyone!"

Her cries for help stopped Ruki and she went to the sound. Peaking through the trees, she saw a woman in rags, bloody and beaten, running as fast as her weary legs could carry her. Ruki thought maybe she shouldn't get involved and maybe she should return to her training.  It was the woman's' fault that she was in this.

The woman tripped and fell on the ground.  The greedy men started laughing as they came close.

"Thought you could get away from us, didn't yah?" one demanded. "Just for that, we'll kill you even slower."

 Then another thought came to her. She needed help, anybody's help and Ruki was the closest.  It was so sad.  Ruki could be in her shoes, running away from sick dogs.

"I don't know why I did it," Ruki recalled, "something inside me told me it was the thing to do."

"Only men would do this," Ruki snarled to herself.  And without a second thought, Ruki jumped out of the trees between Jaarin and the men.  "Why would you attack a weak woman who's already down?  Wouldn't you rather attack a strong one on her feet, or are you not mad enough to take me?"

"Oh, she's feisty," one of the men grinned.  "I'll take her."  He took out his sword and advanced to Ruki, but she grabbed his arm, disarmed him and chopped his head off with his own sword. 

"Who's next?" Ruki questioned, pointing the bloody sword at the men.  "Come on boys, I'm waiting."

"If she's this good at battle," a man said, "Imagine what she's like in bed!"

Ruki snarled and jumped up, "For that remark, you'll die next!" she cut his sword in half and split his belly open.

The woman sat up and looked at Ruki. Her style of fighting was incredibly fierce.  'How did she learn to fight like that?'

The remaining men stood shocked at the way she fought. This was how men fought, not weak, pathetic women. But Ruki was not like other women.  She fought hard, fast and vicious. She knew where all the vital parts were and attacked them accurately and quickly. 

"And I haven't even warmed up," Ruki said with a grin on her face, stained with the men's blood. "You pigs!  Attacking this poor girl…how would you like me to kill you slowly?  I will not let you live!"

"Who are you?"

"I am Ruki, the gladiator queen!" she snarled.  "I am a gladiator at Yamaki's arena of fighters and I am his best female fighter. Care to see any more of my attacks?"

A few dropped their weapons and started running while the others stayed.

"Cowards! Fight me!" she ran after them to finish them off.  She was one woman against six men now.  They tried cornering her and before one could attack, he was knocked out with a rock. 

"What?" Ruki looked up and the woman she was trying to protect had gotten to her feet to help Ruki. 'She can fight too…'  Ruki killed two more men with the sword and Jaarin used the martial arts she learned from her father.  Ruki was impressed with how she fought.  Her raw strength was not very good though she was knowledgeable of different weapons.   Jaarin knew how to use her own body as a weapon but never had the chance to use a sword or other deadly weapon.  As if they were great allies in battle, the girls moved back to back to finish the assailants together.

"Ah, this will get more interesting," a man sneered.

"I'll take what I can," Jaarin whispered to Ruki, "you just cover me."

"Sounds like a plan."

As Jaarin jumped around using kicks and punches, Ruki swung and slashed her sword. Within moments, they lay dead around the two girls.  Ruki turned to Jaarin. "Thank you. Why did you help me?"

"I couldn't let you take them all by yourself," Jaarin said, "not when I could still fight. I was down, but not permanently" She forced a smile, "I just needed to rest a bit. Why did you help me?"

"I uh," Ruki tried to think of an answer, "I just couldn't let them attack you. Besides, you were calling for help, weren't you?  I was the only one close enough to hear you."

"You are a good fighter."

"I train hard," Ruki said.

"How long have you been a gladiator?"

She shrugged, "a few months…almost a year."

 "How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

Jaarin looked around her, "and you took care of all these men yourself?"

"No, you helped me.  I could've handled them, but you made it go quicker. You're quite good yourself.  We can use another woman in the arena."

"OH, I couldn't be a gladiator," Jaarin said.

"You killed three men with your bare hands," Ruki asked, "I'm sure if we gave you a weapon you could do more."

"I've never been taught how to use weapons.  Just karate."

"Then we can teach each other," Ruki touched her shoulder without meaning too.  'Why was she being so friendly? She saved the girl, why doesn't she just go back to the arena?' "You can show me how you fight that way and I will teach you how to use every weapon we've got at the arena.  Is it a deal?  It is safer there than out here.  You fight every day and you might get killed, but better to die as a gladiator in an arena than out here by those pigs."

"Agreed," Jaarin said and she extended her right arm.  "And I am Jaarin."

"Ruki."  She took out her arm and they clasped hand to forearm.  "We'll get you cleaned up and then we'll start your training."

"Thank you, Ruki."

Ruki put her arm around Jaarin to help her walk to the arena.  She was tired enough already and didn't want her to tire out before she got to her new home.

****

"You saved my sister," Jenrya said, amazed. 

"Yes, but I almost killed your other," Ruki mumbled. "And you."

"Is Jaarin still a gladiator at the arena?"

"No, she died in combat."

"Was it against you?"

She shook her head, "Yamaki knew we were good friends.  We never had to fight against another but he trained together all the time.  She taught me good techniques and in return I showed her how to use weapons.  When I found you and your younger sister, I recognized some of your techniques.  Shuichon's are too complex."

"That's because she learned animal techniques," Jenrya said.  "Jaarin never learned them.  Just from what our father and our sensei taught us."

"Jaarin was a good gladiator," Ruki sighed. "The best next to me.  She died last year.  I miss her.  Fighting in the arena just wasn't the same when she died.  She fought a good fight but I hoped she'd stay longer."

"Thank you for telling me," Jenrya said. "I was afraid that those men…well…kept her as a slave."

"No, she is strong. She was able to get away." 

"Shuichon should hear this."

"Would she believe me?"

"Of course.  It's better than the alternative.  Will you come to camp?  Have you had anything?"

"No thank you," she said. "I'd better stay here and keep watch."

"Well, goodnight, Ruki."

"Goodnight."

Jenrya left Ruki alone to her thoughts.  He told Shuichon the news about Jaarin.

"Has Ruki had something to eat?" Juri questioned, adding more wood to the fire and making some stew.

"No," Jenrya looked up.  "She's gong to stay and keep watch."

"All night?" Takato questioned.

He shrugged, "I think so."

Hearing this, Ryo came to the fire. "Juri, give me a bowl.  I'll take it to Ruki."

"What about you, Ryo?" she questioned.

"Perhaps she'd rather be alone," he said.

"No, it's better that you both keep watch," she said, making two bowls.  "That way one of you can keep watch if the other falls asleep."

"All right."   He took the bowls and went to see Ruki.  "Ruki, I've brought you some food.  It's still warm."

Ruki, the memories of Jaarin fresh in her mind and tears coming to her eyes, wiped them away before turning around.

"Are you all right?"

"Er, yes," she turned and took the bowl. "Thank you, Ryo."

"You told Jenrya about Jaarin," Ryo said, sitting down on the grass.  "I heard him telling Shuichon about it."

"Yes, Jaarin was Jenrya's sister," she explained.

"You miss her, don't you?" 

"Of course I do, Ryo!" she snarled.  "She was my best friend."

"I miss her too," Ryo sighed, "she was very kind. Died too soon."

"I know, but that is what it's like in the arena," she played with her food before eating it. "But I'm glad she died an honorable gladiator's death instead of dying slowly in those dog's hands."

"You did a good thing by saving her."

"I did, I know.  But it was the only good thing I did in my life, Ryo."  She said.  "I've done awful things."

"That's not true."

"Oh?"

"You helped us today," he said.  "While we were trying to defeat the boar.  You didn't' have to come back, you really didn't.  But you came back anyway. That was a good thing.  You are a good person."

Ruki smiled.  "Thank you, Ryo.  And you are too.  I realize that all men are not bad.  Not like the men chasing Jaarin, or…my father…"

"Your father?"  He questioned. "So, it was him.  He's why…?"

"Yes.  Not a lover, but my father. He left one day when I was a little girl.  That is why I…killed so many men."

"Ruki, you don't have to worry about that anymore."

"I could've killed my father and didn't even know," she muttered. 

"I'm nothing like him."

"Yes, I know," she said.  "I know there are good men out there but I didn't care, did I?  I killed so many men.  I would've killed you and you…" she shook her head.

"What?"

"It doesn't matter.  You're one of the good men that I've met.  You, Yamaki, Jenrya and the others…now, I know you're not my real enemies, but the demons.  I will destroy them. I'll destroy them all."

TBC